August 22, 2018
The Phillies haven't made much of a splash off the field as they've tried to compete for a playoff spot whilst also maintaining their youth and potential for the future.
So Wednesday afternoon they made a minor move —one that came less than a day after the team's bullpen blew a 3-run lead by allowing nine runs in a depleting loss in Washington Tuesday. In acquiring Luis Avilan, the Phillies hope they can solve some of their late (and middle) inning woes.
#WhiteSox lefty Luis Avilán reacts to being traded to the Phillies https://t.co/YbJ3Vlm5On pic.twitter.com/yxG6NIEqqK
— Sun-Times Sports (@suntimes_sports) August 22, 2018
Avilan, who has a respectable career ERA of 3.09 as a left-handed specialist, started the year with the Dodgers and was later traded to the White Sox. Double-A pitcher Felix Paulino was sent to Chicago as the Sox' compensation in the deal.
The most alluring stat from Avilan is his success against left-handers, allowing just .212 of them to get hits over his last three seasons. As a whole, Philly's bullpen ERA is 4.07, right in the middle of the MLB pack. They have allowed .250 of hitters to grab hits.
| Phillies vs. Lefties | vs. Righties | Last 7 games |
| .256 | .238 | .320 |
The acquisition, Philly's fourth trade of the summer, comes about a week ahead of the second, non-waiver trade deadline with the Phillies currently two games behind the Braves in the NL East.
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